American Sprint Car Racers: The Most Enduring Racers in the World?

[JohnBM01]

This is a big diversion from my normal topics. Diversion in the sense that I don't like to mention anything that isn't road racing, much less sportscar/endurance racing. But what do you get when you have an oval covered in dirt (or some pavement ovals), and plenty of racers around America? You get dirt track racing under the lights. For anyone who watches Speed News like I do, you may know that those dirt trackers and sprint car racers do a lot of races across America. I think I heard they do as many as 64 races a year! Can you imagine that? NASCAR Nextel Cup does about 36, Formula One does 16 or 17, and the ALMS this year does 9 races. So these oval racers out in the world of ugly race cars with big motors (typical) are out there going through preliminary after preliminary, just hoping to make it into the A-Main. So GTPlanet, let me ask you then...

"Are Anerican Sprint Car racers the most enduring racers in the world?"

Some of you may think this is going to be a dumb choice of a topic simply because they don't race as hard as my favorite style of racing, sportscar/endurance racing. But considering how American racers are on the oval tracks and how often they race, do you think they are some of the most enduring racers in the world? Other than Formula One, World Rally, or even those invited to Le Mans? Reply now, please. I'm saying "American" sprint cars because I don't want to discuss the more real ones racing the Andros Ice Racing series, which I consider to be more real.

 

[VIPFREAK]

Lets put it this way... anything on dirt in a circle or pavement and in a circle suck ass. Sprint cars are more like ugly ass nascar demolition derbies. (took that one from your new low american racing thread). Almost forgot... Sprint cars enduring racers?

 

[de1337ed]

Hmm.
Nascar goes in a circle (on most occasions)
yeah, since sprint is pretty much the same, id have to agree *c0ugh* it sucks. enduring the left or right g-force only ends with a driver sticking to a side of his nomex, and maybe a lazy arm afterwards. hardly anything to endure, you can make your arm fall asleep by sitting on it.

 

[Mike Rotch]

You cant really mention Sprint cars in the same breath as Paris-Dakar participants.

Racing around in a circle, no matter how often, cant compare with being stuck in a sizzling hot cockpit, for hundreds of kilometers a day, in the middle of the desert. And never mind the truck and car racers who have the luxury of sitting in a seat. What of the ATV riders? Could you sit on one for 100's of kilometers AND still do your own navigating?

 

[Schrodes]

I was going to type a long post about all the reasons why I love sprintcars and most other speedway categories but it was getting a bit long. All I will say is that dirt oval racing, especially sprintcar racing, is so much more than turning left and doesn't deserve to be put in the same category as NASCAR.

Some of you may think this is going to be a dumb choice of a topic simply because they don't race as hard as my favorite style of racing, sportscar/endurance racing.

Sprintcar racers go harder than sportscar racers in my opinion.

 

[de1337ed]

Well if it contributes, ive seen some terrifying sprint car crashes, and theres a risk there that should be recognized due to such a small cockpit of speed thats nearly a rollbar with wheels and a motor. not to mention the distance that lies between you and the next racer going sideways that fast....although, with the right speed applied in any motor sport, tragedy is an easy commodity.

 

[kart racer]

Compared to just oval racers, I'd have to say that they are nere the top for endurance.Dirt tracks do not stay the same from lap to lap.They get rutted up and beat the h3ll out of the driver.They don't have pit stops to get a drink and new tires(unless under a red flag)so they must live with the setup that they started from.It"s not easy to keep a car that weighs almost nothing with close to 800 hp sideways and under control.But on the same note,they do not run 500 miles at a time.That too is taxing on the body.But,I would have to say,because the sprinters run up to 3 times a week that they are the enduro kings of the oval world.

 

[Schrodes]

Dirt tracks do not stay the same from lap to lap.They get rutted up and beat the h3ll out of the driver.They don't have pit stops to get a drink and new tires(unless under a red flag)so they must live with the setup that they started from.It"s not easy to keep a car that weighs almost nothing with close to 800 hp sideways and under control.

They also don't have rear vision mirrors or car to pit radio to know how far back the next bloke is so they can back off a bit and take the pressure off. They are hard at it every lap because they don't know how close the next car is. They are just as technical as a sportscar in terms of setup if not more so. They have tyre pressures to adjust, ride heights, shock absorber, spring rates and torsion bars to adjust, not only what angle to put on the wing but also how far forward or back, diff gear ratios, amount of stagger on the right rear tyre, how much spacing for the right rear axle, toe angle for the front tyres, transfer of weight to the front or back and left side or right side. Kart racer mentioned the ruts that appear in the dirt (or clay) ovals. It's not only the ruts that cause the track to change from lap to lap, it's also things like moisture and the cushion. So do you set your car to run up high or low, for a damp track or a dry hard track for a fast finish? But it doesn't matter how fast your car is, if you don't have the balls to sit your right rear tyre on the cushion and do 150mph a few inches off the concrete wall lap after lap your not going to be any good.

 

[JohnBM01]

The reason why I brought this topic up is because I wanted to talk about if sprint car racers are the most endurant. They go around America, but I think the World of Outlaws folk had a stint in Australia earlier this year, not sure. But, the "rubbing is racing" ideal in an American sprint car race makes for hardcore racing action in the race to take topic honors. You don't hear of race cars that cost no more than $100,000 (U.S. Dollars) being raced on weekend after weekend. I mean, imagine if the ALMS raced 36 races like NASCAR does. Money would be wasted, drivers would be banged up and weakened, and all that. But with these sprint car guys and girls, around America running in events ranging from a race on the Pikes Peak oval to the Knoxville Nationals to the Eldora Sprints, and all those races including a local track in a city not too far from Downtown Houston called Baytown.

So, enduring or not? American sprint car racing? Dirt and non-dirt. WIngs or non-winged. What do you think?